Vacuum breaker vent valve packaging and installation system

ABSTRACT

A vacuum breaker vent valve is disclosed along with a coupler device and the packaging designed to enclose the valve and the coupler device. As packaged, the valve stem is received within the coupler device and the packaging, in two halves, is fastened above and below the valve and coupler device to enclose them. In use, the coupler device is inverted and attached to a sanitary system pipe and the valve is coupled on the coupler device. The packaging halves are assembled over the valve to provide protection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vacuum breaker vent valve packagingand installation system. In the prior art, vacuum breaker vent valvesare known. However, Applicant is unaware of any such device that ispackaged by packaging means that may also be employed as a protectivehousing mountable in surrounding relation to the valve, in situ, toprotect the valve at its point of installation.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

The following prior art is known to Applicant:

U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,938 to Hansen et al.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,413 to Hansen

U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,706 to Ericson

U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,406 to Ericson

U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,807 to Ericson

U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,084 to Frawley

U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,085 to Miller

U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,623 to Ericson.

None of these patents teaches or contemplates a protective covering fora vacuum breaker vent valve nor the concept of such a protectivecovering also employed as a packaging device enclosing and surroundingthe valve and coupler device at the point of sale.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vacuum breaker vent valve packagingand installation system. The present invention includes the followinginterrelated objects, aspects and features:

(1) In a first aspect, the vacuum breaker vent valve is of conventionaldesign such as that which is disclosed, for example, in Applicant'sprior U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,807, including a valve body having a lowerhollow stem terminating in an upwardly facing lip and having an uppercover enclosing a space vented by an annular vent valve that seats onthe lip. The inventive system also includes a coupler device consistingof a first coupling designed to be attachable over a vent pipe and asecond coupling designed to couple with the hollow stem of the ventvalve.

(2) The packaging system consists of two housing halves that fittogether to enclose the vent valve and coupler device so that they maybe packaged through use of a wrapper wrapped about the exterior thereof,with the wrapper having printed thereon information concerning theinventive system.

(3) After the vent valve and coupler device have been employed toinstall the vent valve on a vent pipe, the housing halves may beemployed to create a housing enclosing the vent valve to protect it.

As such, it is a first object of the present invention to provide avacuum breaker vent valve packaging and installation system.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a deviceincluding packaging also employable as a protective insulating housing.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such adevice wherein a coupler device is provided to allow coupling of a ventvalve to a vent pipe.

These and other objects, aspects and features of the present inventionwill be better understood from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the appended drawingfigures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the inventive system as packaged withcertain features shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view depicting all components ofthe inventive system.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the upper housing half seen in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the upper housing half.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the lower housing half depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the lower housing half.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the coupler device of the inventivesystem as mounted on a vent pipe with the vent valve thereof suspendedover the coupler device prior to installation.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 7 but showingthe vent valve installed on the coupler device.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 8 but with theupper housing half from FIG. 2 shown mounted over the vent valve andwith the lower housing half from FIG. 2 inverted and suspended over theupper housing half.

FIG. 10 shows an inverted sectional view in elevation of the couplershown in FIG. 2.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the inventive system is generallydesignated by the reference numeral 10 and is seen to include a ventvalve 11 having a housing 12 including a hollow lower stem 13 with alower threaded exterior 15, a cap 17 integrally connected to the stem 13via an annular portion 19 having a series of openings 21 separated byribs 23 that interconnect the stem 13 and the cap 17. A valve disk (notshown) sits on a valve seat (not shown) to control venting of air fromthe exterior through the openings 21 and into a vent pipe 1 (FIGS. 7-9).The vent valve 11 is of conventional design and may be made inaccordance with the teachings of Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No.4,535,807.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 7 and 10, a coupler device is generallydesignated by the reference numeral 30 and, with particular reference toFIG. 7, includes a first upper coupling 31 having an internal passageway33 carrying internal threads 35 complementary to the external threads 15of the stem 13 of the vent valve 11. With further reference to FIGS. 2,7 and 10, the coupler device 30 has a second lower coupling 37integrally connected to the upper coupling at a shoulder 36. Withreference to FIGS. 2 and 10, the lower coupling 37 has an interior wall39 that is smooth and terminates at a shoulder 41 which receives the endof a standard two inch pipe. Shoulder 29 receives the end of a one andone-half inch pipe. As seen in FIG. 2, when the coupler device 30 ispackaged together with the vent valve 11, the coupler device 30 isinverted so that the stem 13 of the vent valve 11 may be received withinthe wall 39 of the lower coupling 37 with the stem 13 protruding intothe upper coupling 31 to conserve space in the package as best shownwith reference to the phantom lines of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the lower housing half isgenerally designated by the reference numeral 40 and is seen to includea closed bottom wall 42 (FIG. 6) and is upwardly open as best seen inFIGS. 2 and 5. The outer peripheral wall of the lower housing half 40 isgenerally designated by the reference numeral 44. The lower housing half40 is of generally octagonal configuration as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6and includes legs 43 for a purpose to be described in greater detailhereinafter. Tabs 45 and 47 are strengthening members.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, in particular, an upper housinghalf is designated by the reference numeral 50 and is seen to begenerally octagonal in outer configuration (FIGS. 3 and 4) including anupper wall 51 having a central opening 53 therethrough and having anoctagonal bottom wall 55 (FIG. 4). The upper wall 51 has four slots 57therethrough for a purpose to be described in greater detail hereinafteras well as four ribs 59 which attach between the inner wall 52 of thehousing half 50 and the underside of the top wall 51 and are used tofrictionally engage cap 17 as it is contained within the package 10. Theoctagonal outer periphery of the upper housing half 50 is generallydesignated by the reference numeral 54. The bottom wall 55 has fourinwardly extending vertical channels 56 provided for a purpose to bedescribed in greater detail hereinafter.

As explained above, FIGS. 1 and 2 explain the orientation of the variouscomponents of the present invention as they are packaged for sale. Inpackaged configuration, the locking structures 46 (FIG. 9.) on the legs43 of the housing half 40 engage the wall channel 56 of the housing half50 to releasably lock them together.

With reference to FIG. 7, in order to install the inventive system on avent pipe 1, the vent valve 11 is removed from the coupler device 30 andthe coupler device 30 is inverted to the position shown in FIG. 7whereupon the smooth inner surface 39 of the coupling 37 is placed overthe outer surface of the vent pipe 1. Suitable adhesive (not shown) maybe employed to adhere the coupling 37 over the end of the vent pipe 1.Different size diameter pipes will fit within coupler device 30.Thereafter, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the vent valve 11 isinstalled on the coupler device 30 by threading the stem 13 thereof intothe internal threads 35 of the coupling 31 until the vent valve 11 isinstalled on the coupler device 30 in the manner shown in FIG. 8.

Thereafter, with reference to FIG. 9, the upper housing 50, in the sameorientation as shown in FIG. 2, is placed over the vent valve 11 and islowered to the position shown in FIG. 9 with cap 17 protruding throughopening 53. Dimples 27 on a lower portion of cap 17 prevent the cap frombeing pushed too far through opening 53. The bottom of the vent valve 11is enclosed within housing 50. Four ribs 59 hold cap 17 in a frictionfit during transport as the package is shown in FIG. 1. Thereafter, withreference to FIGS. 2 and 9, the lower housing half 40 is inverted fromthe position shown in FIG. 2 and is lowered over the upper housing 50with the legs 43 thereof entering respective ones of the slots 57 of theupper housing half 50. FIG. 9 clearly shows locking structure 46 on eachleg 43 causing each leg 43 to snap into a locked position within arespective slot 57 to complete the assembled system. As shown, thehousing halves 40 and 50 completely enclose the vent valve 11 to protectit against the elements and to provide insulation from coldtemperatures. The open bottom of the housing half 50 allows completeaccess to the ambient air for the vent valve 11.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the variouscomponents of the present invention may be made of any suitable materialsuch as, for example, hard molded plastic.

A paper enclosure (not shown) around the packaged system as shown inFIG. 1 assists in holding the two housing halves together and is used toprovide mounting instructions, trademarks and seller identificationcodes.

As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of a preferredembodiment thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects ofthe invention as set forth hereinabove and provides a new and usefulvacuum breaker vent valve packaging and installation system of greatnovelty and utility.

Of course, other types of valves may be packaged in a substantiallysimilar way. Various changes, modifications and alterations in theteachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilledin the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof.

As such, it is intended that the present invention only be limited bythe terms of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A packaging system for a valve comprising,a first and secondhousing half releasably locked together enclosing the valve and aseparate coupler therefore; the first housing half having an opening ata first and second end and a plurality of ribs mounted on an inner wallfor frictionally mounting a cap portion of the valve so that a topportion of the valve cap fills the first opening of the first housing,the second housing half having a closed first end and an open secondend, the second end having substantially the same opening configurationas the second end of the first housing so that the first and secondhousing halves will mate together, and multiple wall channels mounted onan inner wall surface of the first housing mating with integralprojecting legs from the second end of the second housing half toreleasably hold the two housing halves together.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein said valve and coupler are adapted to be installed on a ventpipe, the cap portion of the valve projecting through the first openingof the first housing, the second housing half being mountable over saidvalve as installed on a vent pipe to form an insulated space to protectsaid valve.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first housing halfsecond end opening communicates said valve with ambient air.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said first housing half includes an uppersurface with at least one slot therein, said second housing halfincluding at least one projecting leg insertable into said at least oneslot to couple said housing halves together.
 5. The packing system ofclaim 2 wherein the coupler is adapted to be installed on vent pipes ofvarying diameter.